Here's what I'll be watching for Saturday, among the varied story lines surrounding No. 2 Oregon vs. Tennessee in a 12:30 p.m. kickoff at Autzen Stadium.

1. Turnovers: Oregon's plus-six turnover margin is best in the Pac-12, but Tennessee's defense is no opportunity-creating slouch, either. The Vols' nine forced turnovers are tied with Tulane for best in the nation and continue a hallmark of Butch Jones teams. Since 2011, when he was at Cincinnati, his teams have forced 70 turnovers, tied for first in the nation in that span. In interviews this week, UO coaches and players cite an aggressive strategy for that Jones' success. Asked to define "aggressive," RB Byron Marshall and offensive coordinator Scott Frost said it relates to how UT swarms the ball with a host of defenders. The more players at the ball, the higher the chance someone can pop the ball out.

"We talk about ball disruption and creating turnovers on every snap," Jones said Wednesday. "It’s teaching the players to find details, how do you scoop and score? How do you teach ground recovery of fumbles? How do you teach the techniques of getting the ball out. Basically defense is about getting the ball back and attacking the football. Our players to date have done a great job with those techniques but it’s a mindset."

2. Feel the rush: Oregon has 16 tackles for loss this season, including eight sacks, but those came at the expense of lines with nowhere near the experience of Tennessee's. LT Antonio Richardson, LG Alex Bullard, C James Stone, RG Zach Fulton and RT Ja'wuan James have each started at least 13 games in their career and played in at least 25 overall, led by James' 38 starts in 38 appearances. James and Richardson are on the Outland Trophy watch list. When UO's defensive line clogs up the gaps, can Oregon's young linebacking corps, noted for their speed, not size, rip through the holes or go around the edge and get pressure on the Vols' young quarterback?

3. Who blinks first: Opponents offered little pushback in the first two games of the year for both Oregon and Tennessee. A large gap in talent can do that, even when there's a stadium full of emotion trying to will it to be untrue, as was the case at Virginia. But forget what you've heard about Tennessee being down: This is as large a test for Oregon as it is the Volunteers, and the first two games haven't prepared either side for the size and speed they'll see today.

Both teams will get their punches in (Oregon, it's universally predicted, will land many more), but watch each team's response to some of the first adversity they've faced all season. Tennessee hasn't faced a rushing attack like this, so how do they adjust to UO's zone blocking schemes? Oregon, meanwhile, will be looking at by far the best linebacker it's faced in A.J. Johnson. How do they beat him?

4. Thomas Tyner: Tyner-Watch 2013 has evolved. Now that he's played (and scored two touchdowns on his first four college carries), we'll be watching to see how often he'll get the ball, and whether that will displace Marshall. Already this week RBs coach Gary Campbell has called Tyner "2 1/2" on the depth chart. Watch for when he plays, but also whether Oregon keeps Marshall in the game when Tyner comes in. People consider De'Anthony Thomas to be the only running back able to line up in multiple positions, but coaches love Marshall's versatility in the slot, too.

5. The Marcus Mariota paradox: Will Tennessee commit an extra defender to shadow Oregon's quarterback on the run, or will the Vols opt to keep that defender in coverage to curb his passing attack? Maybe that seems a no-brainer question, considering Mariota leads FBS with an average 26.1 yards per rush attempt, and has a 53.1 completion percentage passing. But consider what Oregon coaches Mark Helfrich and Scott Frost have maintained the first two weeks: Mariota's made nearly all the right decisions on who to throw to, it's just physical errors (drops, a too-fast delivery) that have failed him. That's a scary thought for a defensive coordinator to see a quarterback who's mentally in mid-season form.